Abstract
Aletta Jacobs was the first female physician in the Netherlands. Her biography highlights the social circumstances under which her will to become a doctor prevailed as well as the peculiar traits of her character, which made her successes possible. After her graduation, she provided free medical care to poor women and backed up by her husband turned out to be an active promoter of women’s rights concerning birth control and the right to vote. Furthermore, she was an active propagandist in the young international peace movement. Under the impression of today’s problems, the personal history of that outstanding person should be an ongoing inspiration for all of us.